The Washington wolf plan has no plans for hunting wolves as a management tool. Instead WDWL plan to translocate problem and over populated wolves throughout Washington. The wolf web site below is one of the best I have seen. Information on wolves and the problems that washington is already having do to wolf predation. Supporting the minorty wolf plan would mean fewer wolves and hunting as part of management efforts. Maybe you could make a differance in the out come of the wolf management plan for Washington. Please check it out.

Negative, First wolf pack was anounced in the Methow Valley in 2008. Second one was anounced in Pend Oreille this year. Right now we should be delisting in Washington. WDFG are not being honest on with their wolf count for Wa. As time goes on you will find out that Washington has more than enough wolves to delist right now. We have had wolves in Okanaogan county now for several years, the last five years we have really notices the the increase in wolves in the Methow Valley. How much money do you think WDFG will spend on wolves in the years ahead, with less and less people hunting because of lack of game, where then will their funding come from?

Check dates on each article, as you go down the paper trail you might see why Washington is ready for delisting now. On top of the wolves that were recorded than, people here have seen wolves being released in the Methow Valley in the last five years, and as recent as this spring.

Washington's Wolves Are Back
Posted by Eric de Place
07/19/2008 08:00 AM

Wolf-less no longer as Washington's wildlife returns.
A state biologist said Monday that he believes one or more packs of gray wolves are living in the Methow Valley...

Packers have made numerous reports of wolves in the high country in the past couple of years, and there have been increasing reports by residents in lower elevations, he said.

Fitkin said there have been reliable wolf sightings in the Methow dating to the early 1990s, but only sporadic, unconfirmed reports of wolf packs.

"What's changed recently is that we've had repeated observations of multiple animals in the greater Twisp River/Chelan Sawtooth and Libby Creek areas," he said, adding, "My suspicion is, based on the sighting history, its development is very similar to how recolonization in the Rockies occurred. This is looking like we very well may have some wolves on the landscape."--------- (via"White shwans wolf delivery trucks")

Conservation groups want U.S. to restore gray wolves in state
By Matthew Daly

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Two conservation groups are calling on the federal government to restore gray wolves to Washington state, saying it's time to "hear the call of the wild again" in Western Washington forests.

Defenders of Wildlife and the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance said yesterday they have sent a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, requesting that the agency restore and protect gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

"Gray wolves have an important role to play in the ecological health and character of the Pacific Northwest, and the federal government should start getting serious about restoring the species here," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "It's time to hear the call of the wild again in these beautiful forests."

The petition urges the service to establish a category known as a distinct population segment for gray wolves in Washington state.

For the first time in anyone's memory, wildlife biologists have captured an endangered gray wolf in Washington.

State Wildlife Department biologists said they trapped the animal, a healthy 56-pound female, near Mount Baker last Friday. The wolf was fitted with a radio collar and released the next day on national forest land a few miles away.

The capture is an exciting development, said John Pierce, manager of the department's non-game program. "If she's part of a pack, we should know it pretty soon," he said.

The gray wolf, listed as endangered in every state but Minnesota and Alaska, disappeared from Washington in the early 1900s. But reports of wolf sightings in the wild North Cascades have increased in recent years. In 1990 biologists discovered two dens - the first time wolves had been sighted in the state since 1975.

Pierce said the animals probably are migrating south from Canada, where wolves still are hunted.

"It appears we're in the early stages of re-colonization of the former range in Washington," he said. There's evidence the animals are breeding as far south as the Glacier Peak Wilderness Area just north of Stevens Pass, Pierce added.

According to a Wildlife Department statement, the captured wolf, nicknamed "Nooksack," had been seen several times in recent weeks near a winter-cabin community outside Glacier, Whatcom County. After trying for 10 days, biologists Jon Almack and Scott Fitkin succeeded in luring the animal into a fenced swimming-pool area, using a fish carcass as bait.

Once she was inside, the gate was closed. The wolf was tranquilized, and a local veterinarian took X-rays of her skull to verify her species.

Pierce said Almack and Fitkin are participating in a long-range study of the gray wolf's relationship with its environment in Washington, including diet, movement and range.

The most important thing that most people do not realize is that currently the WDFW Draft Wolf Plan does not include hunting as the eventual management tool.

This means that in 5 years when wolves multiply like they have in Idaho, hunting will not be an easy option for the state to use for cost effective management.

Instead taxpayers may have to bear the cost of eliminating problem wolves at the tune of $1500 per wolf plus helicopter time. (That reportedly is what Idaho has been paying for removal of problem wolves.)

Make your voices heard now, the wolf plan is being developed as we write on this forum. Use the contacts on this page and write letters or send email telling these people that you think "Hunting needs to be the eventual management tool in Washington."

Wolves are fine and a sign of a heathy ecosystem the problem with the wolves is when they start eating and killing livestock and Susie's little purse dog.
Think about this for a moment,all the great hunting places in North America,that includes Alaska and all of Canada.They have the best hunting for all the species you care to take and they have wolves.So the argument that they will kill all the game is nonsense.We have wolves in the Big Horn Mtns. just outside of town.The elk and deer herds have never been in better shape.A few rogue wolves have taken a liking to sheep near town DFG dispatched the wolves swiftly.Respect for the wolves and the ranchers is the key to having it all.

You got to be kidding. Perhaps you need to take a trip through parts of Idaho and Montana, see what the wolves from Alberta have done to the elk herds. Alaska is a big country, not as populated as the states, and they have their share of problems with the wolves there also, same with Canada and they can hunt them. Respect for the wolves is fine , but these wolves need to be managed just like all game, you can't expect to keep the fridge full if you don't put back into it what you take out. Have you seen the surplus killing these wolves have done, have you seen a pack of dogs chasing deer, kill and run to the next. Have you come across deer scattered all over with just parts ate out, seen the suffering that they have gone through. I have seen what these wolves are doing to our deer herds. These wolves will kill till the game herds are in an animal pit, and at the same time they will be killing anything else that is handy and easy. This is not just about the ranchers or fluffy on the front porch, this is about an animal that when allowed to over populate will kill everything.

Elk hunters over the past three years have had success rates ranging from 16 percent in Unit 21 to 25 percent in Unit 21A and the highest rates in the wilderness, with a 28 percent success rate in Unit 27.

The “B Tag” general antlered elk hunt is open from October 15 to November 8 throughout the Salmon Zone as well as Unit 36 in the Sawtooth Zone. Unit 27 in the Middle Fork Zone is open for brow-tined bulls only from November 1 through November 18.

Unit 36 in the Sawtooth Zone has had an 8 percent success rate over the last three years, lower that the rest of the region, and is expected to remain about the same.

Well Sir, I'm not a biologist either, but I do know that Washington has had enough wolves to delist for quite some time now. I also know what the wolves have already done and are still doing to the deer herds in the Methow. I know what they have done to the game herds in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. I would rather not see it happen in Washington also. The Washington wolf management plan as it stands now, problem wolves and over populated wolves will be translocated throughout Washington. There is no plan to hunt wolves as a control method. When the wolves kill the game herds down and the hunting is to poor to hunt, who will be supporting the game department? The Tax payers will. We have already lost plenty of livestock here, with the "investigators" unwilling to confirm them as wolf kills. I hate to have to wait until all our game herds are in the animal pit before someone realizes that they screwed up. I can throw a list of web links on here that will show the elk losses in Idaho and Montana, and we can go back n forth on that all night long. The problems in Idaho and Montana won't slow down a drop even if all 220 wolves are shot. These wolves multiply up to 50% a year, the USFG have been underestimating the true wolf count from the start, estimations this spring was over 4000 wolves.

If people will get involved and write to the people that will listen, support the minority wolf plan for Washington, than perhaps we won't have to go through what these other state are dealing with.

I spend more time in wolf country than you can imagine, what you speak is pure conjecture backed by no practacle experience or education.You have the mindset that does not allow you see the truth.I do agree that not all wilderness areas are suited for wolf reintroduction.Wolves have been in Yellowstone for 20 years after reintroduction the Wyoming Fish and Game still supplementally feed the elk every winter.Because they are over the carrying capacity. Where in this country at any time since hunting seasons have been established that success on elk hunting has been over 15% no where.Average is 10% with or without the wolves.

Could it possibly be that these elk are wary of routinely migrating off the safety of the park as they did before hunting pressure trained them where they were safe? They deplete the feed from a small area and then feed magically appears?
I am no scientist/biologist... just a dumb redneck guessing...
Brent

Well, I do have a degree in biology, and yes, wolves are part of a healthy ecosystem. I can tell you, though, that most people are not going to like what is going to happen in order for us to get to that "healthy ecosystem" state. First thing that will happen is a spike in predator numbers (we're already going that way with coyotes, bears, and cougar, just add wolves to the list) and a collapse of prey numbers. After a while, the predator numbers will come down, but not until after a collapse of prey numbers. And remember, "prey" for a wolf includes anything: elk, deer, cattle, sheep, llamas, other wolves, coyotes, rabbits, pet cats, pet dogs, horses, you name it (this is usually the period when people get tired of wolves and try to kill them off). Then the wolves will die off until the remaining population of prey animals can sustain their numbers. Then prey numbers rebound, and predator numbers climb again. Then the whole thing starts all over again. After several of these cycles, prey/predator numbers will be stabilized, and a "healthy ecosystem" will tend to balance itself.

Personally, I don't think anyone alive today really knows what they are speaking of when they say they want a balanced ecosystem. What most people want is a Disney-like park, where they can go see wild animals and ooooh and aaah, but not have to keep their children inside for fear of them becoming wolf scat.

That is as close as it gets Scorch. The interesting part will be when humans become part of the prey base, due to lack of hunting the wolves have no fear of man. Not a real pretty sight for thoughs who like their cross country sking, etc.

Scorch, the picture you're painting is one in which there is no human intervention. In fact there is a state wolf management plan in the works. I posted the link above.
I don't think anyone is proposing a lassez faire approach to wild life management.

wolfbait, Wolves in Eastern Washington have been de-listed. That happened at the same time as Idaho.

If all of Washington was delisted, we would not be having this discussion. The problem that people have is the wolf plan, which is to fill Washington with wolves, and no hunting of wolves. I don't know what part of Washington you live in, or even if you live in Wa. but I can tell you first hand, if you enjoy the great outdoorss, and you have a high wolf population where you live that is not hunted, you will soon be enjoying the outdoors on TV or packing everywhere you go. Just give it time, and at the rate it's going it won't be to long...... wolfbait

Wolfbait
Minnesota,Michigan come to mind with wolves and people and livestock and they kill plenty of deer there. Seems to me you rather have CWD, starvation,Blue tongue and a myraid of other diseases take care of the excess deer populations that hunters are unable to harvest, mostly due to lack of skill.Should I mention the number of vehicle collisions with wildlife that cause millions of dollars in damage ? A few wolves ain't going to decimate deer or elk poulations to the level you are suggesting.Has not happened in any place you care to mention.Animal populations go up and down for various reasons, predation is only one of many.I am not suggesting that wolves be treated like the lions in CA.Manage them accordinly it will be fine. I can take it or leave it I am not a wolf lover or hater.The folks in Minnesota and Michigan don't have their BVD'd all bunched up over the wolves why do you?

longranger,,,You mentioned a key word, "MANAEMENT" So far we have seen very little management,, thats where I come in on the wolf issue and I think just about everyone else that doesn't much care for the game herds being slaughtered. One does not have to be a biologist in order to have common sense. Bit of a differance there wouldn't you say?? Doesn't matter what the coyote habitate is, we are not talking about coyotes..A few wolves ain't going to decimate deer or elk poulations.. A few wolves would be just fine, but that is not the case, as far as wolves dscimating deer and elk herds, I suggest you take a trip into Idaho and Montana... Talk to the people that live where these wolves have been killing off the elk and deer,, Then come back and tell me what you have learned. It is a little bit differant when it is in your own back yard. You might be a bit surprised at the number of people that have the same concerns that I do with the on going lack of true management of the wolves.

If you read the wolf plan "Hunting" is not mentioned as the eventual management tool. That means that taxpayers will most likely have to foot the bill for wolf management when wolf numbers exceed wildland spaces and wolves start causing serious problems.

Idaho has been having to pay professional hunters a reported $1500 per wolf plus heli flight time. Now that a hunting season has been established Idaho will save thousands.

People need to tell the Washington WDFW Commission to include "Hunting" as the eventual management tool once taget numbers of wolves have been reached.

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